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Where a felony offense caused physical, psycho-
logical, or economic injury, the Division prepares
a victim impact statement as part of the
presentence investigation. A victim impact state-
ment also is prepared when a misdemeanor of-
fense has caused serious physical injury or death.
The Pre-Trial Release Services Division of the
Circuit Court for Baltimore City became a unit of
the Division of Parole and Probation in 1985
(Chapter 725, Acts of 1985). Through Pre-Trial
Release Services, the Division screens all defend-
ants appearing before the courts of Baltimore
City. The Division then provides the courts with
recommendations regarding the pre-trial release
or detention of persons awaiting adjudication. A
Pre-Trial Release Committee oversees the Pre-Tri-
al Release Services Division. The Committee con-
sists of the Director of the Division of Parole and
Probation or the Director's designee, and two
judges appointed by the Administrative Judge of
the Circuit Court for Baltimore City.
The Division maintains field offices throughout
the State in close proximity to the residences of
large segments of the client population. Offices are
located throughout Baltimore City, Annapolis,
Arbutus/Catonsville, Bel Air, Beltsville, Cam-
bridge, Centreville, Chestertown, Cumberland,
Denton, Dundalk, Easton, Elkton, Ellicott City,
Essex/Rosedale, Forrestville, Frederick, Gaithers-
burg, Glen Bumie, Hagerstown, La Plata, Leon-
ardtown, Oakland, Oxon Hill, Prince Frederick,
Princess Anne, Rockville, Salisbury, Silver Spring,
Snow Hill, Towson, Upper Marlboro, and West-
minster (Code 1957, Art. 41, sees. 4-601 through
4-613).
MARYLAND PAROLE COMMISSION
Chairperson: Phillip G. Dantes, 1991
Michael A. Bryant, 1988; Maceo M. Williams,
1988; Marjorie A. Jennings, 1989; John W.
Wolfgang, 1989; Harry J. Traurig, 1992; Daniel
D. Zaccagnini, 1992.
Janet Q. Bacon, Administrator
6776 Reisterstown Rd., Suite 307
Baltimore 21215 Telephone: 764-4231
The Maryland Parole Commission was created
in 1976 to replace the Board of Parole (Chapter
540, Acts of 1976). The previous board had been
established by Chapter 457, Acts of 1968, to re-
place the Board of Parole and Probation.
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The Commission uses hearing examiners to hear
certain cases for parole release. The Commission
itself has the exclusive power to hear certain seri-
ous cases for parole release and to conduct hear-
ings for revocation of parole. Commission juris-
diction extends to persons sentenced under State
law to any penal or correctional institution, in-
cluding local jails and detention centers. The
Commission has the power to issue warrants for
the return to custody of alleged violators of parole
and to suspend or revoke parole upon a showing
of violation.
Decisions of its hearing examiners, if concurred
in by the Commission on summary review, be-
come final. A final decision of the hearing examin-
er may be appealed to a panel of Commission
members for review upon the record. The decision
of the appeal panel is final.
On its own initiative, the Commission must ask
the Division of Parole and Probation to make
such investigation as may enable the Commission
to determine the advisability of granting parole to
persons sentenced for a term of 6 months or more
to the jurisdiction of the Division of Correction,
or to any other place of confinement or detention
of violators of State criminal laws, whenever the
prisoner shall have served one-fourth of the term
or consecutive terms in confinement. The Com-
mission evaluates information on the activity of
parolees as reported to it by the Division of Pa-
role and Probation. In addition, the Commission
has the Division of Parole and Probation conduct
investigations from which recommendations are
made to the Governor on pardons, commutations
of sentences, and parole of persons sentenced to
life imprisonment. The Commission also is autho-
rized to negotiate and execute tri-party contracts
for the release on parole of an inmate at a prede-
termined future date, conditioned upon the fulfill-
ment of the conditions specified in the agreement.
Signatories to such mutual agreements are the Pa-
role Commission, the Commissioner of Correc-
tion, and the inmate.
The Commission is composed of a chairperson
and six commissioners. All are appointed for six-
year terms by the Secretary of Public Safety and
Correctional Services with the approval of the
Governor and with the advice and consent of the
Senate. The Secretary of Public Safety and Cor-
rectional Services designates the chairperson
(Code 1957, Art. 41, sees. 4-501 through 4-512).
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